GOODNESS AND MERCY

In honor of Taeler J. Hurwitz 5/3/1993 - 9/12/2024

With two coffins behind him and my nephew and niece before him, the Pastor chose his words carefully. There were no human answers to comfort in such a tragedy. Only God Himself could speak, so Pastor read from Psalm 23.

When the valley was darkest, God promised, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "

God's goodness and mercy would never leave us alone.

Through the years, "Surely goodness and mercy" became the code between my nephew Taeler and me when times were hard and struggles were long.

"I hope I get that house in Ohio, Aunt Nikki," Taeler would say.

"Surely goodness and mercy," I'd reply.

"I got the house! Now I hope I can get this job."

"Surely goodness and mercy," I'd remind him, knowing the job offer would come, and we'd whoop and holler at the goodness and mercy we saw with our very own eyes.

I believed in God's promise with all my heart. But one day, I wasn't so sure.

"Well, I've seen a lot of things in my life, but I haven't seen Heaven yet," Taeler announced through brave tears after the diagnosis.

"Surely goodness and mercy," I choked on the words, fighting to believe them.

Yet I discovered that goodness and mercy don't race ahead of you. Instead, they faithfully follow through the deepest valleys.

Life's journey is full of highs and lows, twists and turns, but goodness and mercy hang on for the entire ride.

Faithful and true, goodness and mercy were present at my last earthly conversation with Taeler.

Recently baptized, Heaven was fresh on his mind that day.

"I think I'm close," Taeler confessed.

"I picture walking into an empty room, all white. My favorite song starts playing. I say, 'Hey, where's everybody at?'

That troubled me. Taeler wasn't supposed to be alone.

"But then a voice behind me says, "Turn around!"

Riveted by Taeler's story, I wondered. What's there when we take one last look over our shoulder? Who gets the final say?

Taeler's eyes and cheeks glowed bright with the glory of a dream come true.

"When I turned around, Mom, Dad, and Jesus were there."

"Surely goodness and mercy," I whispered awestruck.

God's goodness and mercy never miss a single step. They stay right on our heels all the way Home.

One day, goodness and mercy will greet us face to face, and we "shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" together.

Amen.